Pneumatic control apparatus



Oct. 7, 1952 R. P. ROETTER PNEUMATIC CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 CONTROLLER T I v 0 MAIN, [l4

Juventdr RbBERT' ROETTER Gttorneg Oct. 7, 1952 R. P. ROETTER I PNEUMATIC CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1949 A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ROBERT F? ROETTER Gttomeg Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT F F 1 CE 2; 612,870 I I Q BNEUMATIQGONTROL APPARATUS:

Robert P. Roetter, Gary, Ind., assignorto=Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneaapolis, Minn, a corporation; of: Delaware Applicationflctober 1, 1949, Seri'aI 110,115,175

The present: invention relates to an improved position and floating type control systems frequently tend to cycle or hunt badly and when stability is obtainedby using a proportioningtype system, the unavoidable offset lessens the accuracy of control. overcome in industrial control work by reset-re:-

lays which operate to superimpose a delayed floating type control aotionon proportional control action, Reissue Patent" 21,804 to Harvard H. Gorrie being an example of this sort of relay; With thi apparatus, the initial response to a deviation in the controlled variable causes a proportional type control action accompanied by the inevitable offset; Subsequently, the rebalancing force characteristic of proportioning control is gradually balanced out; thus causing the control apparatus to function as a floating system with a resultingminimizing of'the, previous, offset, stability meanwhile beingmaintained bythe, slow; shift from one sort of control' to the other; However, apparatus such as that of Re. 21,804 has been toocostly, cumbersome and complicated to meet most requirements, especially in the fieldiof' comfort air conditioning and. heating,

It is therefore a major object of the present invention to provide an, improved and simplified pneumatic reset relay;

It is a further object? to provide a pneumatic; reset relay adapted for mass p reductionv yet which is highly sensitive and accurate in use,

It is an additional object to provide a pneumatic reset relay having only a. single adjustment which is easily made and positive inoperation.

It is also an object to provide a pneumatic reset relay which is so small and compact that it may be installed where most" convenient such;

asthe wall of'a home or ofiice.

It is a further object to provide a: pneumatic.

Figure 1 is, a schematic view of a; system; in

corporatingthepresent; relay.

These difficulties have been Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the me} 2--2'of Figure 1. I I

Figure 3* is a bottom View of the relay of Figure l with the connection bl'oclrremoved.

Figure' 4 is a sectionalzvi'ew of the valve unit of the present relay.

In Figure 1', reset'rei'ay H1 is interposed between a proportioning controller H, such as, a: thermoe stat, and a pneumatic motor valve 12, said; valve-- for instance; controlling the flow'of steamytoa radiator, not, shown, in the room' in which thermostat ll isl'oeated: If this apparatus was arranged inthe"usual manner; byleavingrout relay It and connecting branch pipe l tof'thermo stat H- to pipe l5 running-to motorvalvel'z; thenan' ordinary; proportioning system would result," with the position of the; valve. being dependent using-reset-relay l0.

The construction of relay HT is best shown'iin' Figuresi2, 3 and 4", Figure 2 being taken, on the line, 2'-2 of Figure 1, Figures. 2' and 3Zbeing en;- larged' to about twice full size and Figure i'bei'ng about three times full size. a base member l'l, an enclosing cover l.8", air, flow restricters' I9, a valve unit or assembly 21, 'a, switching'block' 22: and" a, connection block 23. Coverlfl is attached tosaid base I11 by screws 25;

av peripheral. gasket 26' being interposed" between the. members to effect a sealing engagementandtorrender'the'enclosure air tight.

Valve; unit 21' is the principal assembly in, the;

present relay and includes a base portion 3 I with,

supply and exhaust valves provided therein", the supply valve including ball valve member 32 en'- gageabl'e with a seat 33 and the exhaust valve comprising aball, valve member 35 engageable. with a, seatiiii. Inthe. neutral position both. ball members arenormally heldmn their seatsagainst,

their springs by awwarpplate 38 held in position by the twocap screwsg showmby ball member 39 and; by ables-spring, not shown. This: valve arranges-- For the reasons. explained in. the aforementioned" Gnrriev Re. 21-,804 patent, both a reasonably wide," throttling range for; the controller, and: a relaa, tively close ultimate control can be; realized by of diaphragms 41 and 53.

3 ment is widely used in control devices and is shown in greater detail in Joesting Patent 2,354,814 and, while a valve structure of this sort has been found entirely satisfactory, any other supply and exhaust valve arrangement operable in the same sequence may be substituted. With the valve members 32 and 35 both against their seats and plate 38 in a neutral position, an increase in force by ball 39 causes plat 38 to rock about ball 35 and the bias spring, not shown, and permits ball 32 to be pushed oil its seat by its spring. A lesser force by ball 39 causes plate 38 to rock about ball 32 and one of the cap screws, due to the bias spring, and permits ball 35 to be forced off its seat by its spring. Thus, an increase in force opens the supply valve, the exhaust valve remaining closed and a decrease in force results in the exhaust valve opening, the supply valve remaining closed, and both valves are closed when the force on the valve plate38 is at a neutral value. A supply passage 4|, an exhaust passage 42 and a branch passage 43 are formed in base portion 3|, as shown in Figure 4.

A body portion 44 is screwed onto base portion 3| and includes a web 45 having a central hole in which ball 39 fits loosely, this web operating to hold ball 39 in its proper position. A flexible diaphragm 41 isseated on a shoulder in portion 44 and has reinforcing metal plate 48 cemented to its bottom side, and a somewhat similar plate 5! is cemented to its upper side, plate 5| havin an upwardly projecting stud 49 extending through a second diaphragm 53. Diaphragm 53 is held in place by a nut 54 screwed down on stud 49 against a spacer Washer 52 bearing against said diaphragm, and a suitable spacer ring 55 having an air vent hole 56 is located between the outer edges Thus far, the space between diaphragm 41 and base portion 3| is considered a rebalancing chamber and the space between diaphragms 41 and 53 forms a reset chamber, passage 43 entering into the rebalancing chamber and passage 56 entering the reset chamber. A somewhat thicker spacer 58 is seated on top of diaphragm 53, this spacer havin a, flat web or partition member 59 with a central opening or hole BI and also having attached thereto an air conduit 62. Web 59 thus masks ofi most of diaphragm 53, the portion of diaphragm 53 exposed by the hole serving as a seal-off diaphragm and the rest of the diaphragm being relatively inactive. A third or motor diaphragm 64 is seated on spacer 58 and is held in place by a motor chamber member 65 and a lock ring 59. Metal reinforcing plates 61 and 68 are cemented on opposite sides of diaphragm 64 and a shim 69 and a spring 7| are arranged between web member 59 and member 68.' Member 99 includes a downwardly extending threaded portion screwed on stud 49, all three of the diaphragms thus being held together. The force exerted by spring 1| is preferably varied by varyin the thickness of shim 69 but some adjustment may also be had by tightening or loosening member 68 on stud 49. An air conduit I3 is attached to the top of member 65 and communicates with the motor chamber defined by member 65 and diaphragm 64.

Valve unit 2| is attached to base member l by screws 15, with passages 4|, 42 and 43 aligning with holes 11, 18 and 19 extending through said base member, a suitable gasket being used to prevent leakage. Tube 13 is attached to hole 9| in said base and tube 62 is connected to hole 82, holes 18 and 82 opening to the atmosphere and holes 11, 19 and 8| aligning with connection sockets 84, 85 and 86, respectively, in connection block 23, socket 84 being intended for the main air supply; socket 85 being used for the branch connection l5 to the device I 2 being controlled, and socket 86 being used for the connection to the branch line l4 for controller Restrictors l9 are screwed into spaced holes 9|, 92 and 93 which extend through said base member restrictors |9 each comprising merely a hollow tube substantially filled with a stack of sintered stainless steel disks 94, said disks being in the nature of very fine screens. Hole 93 in said base member is connected to hole 19 by a bored passage 94 so that the branch line connection to device I2 also connects to the bottom of one of restrictors L9. The bottoms of holes 9|, 92 and 93 are covered by an elongated, reversible switch plate 95 having a top and a bottom and having indicia marks on its two sides. The top side (assumed) has a groove 96 therein long enough to extend across all three holes 9|, 92 and 93, and the bottom side has a shorter groove 91 long enough to cover holes 9| and 92 or 92 and 93 depending upon Which side is turned outwardly, said groove 91 being closer to one end of plate 45 than the other. As shown, the indicia marks comprising two ribs on the plate 95 are in alignment with corresponding marks on base member I! and groove 9! is covering holes 92 and 93, hence the branch opening 79 is connected through passage 94 and slot 91 to two restrictors |9 in parallel. If plate 95 now be turned end for end but not turned over, groove 97 will then cover holes 9| and 92 and the three rib indicia mark on plate 95 will align with the similar marks of l1. In this case, passage 94 will connect only with the restrictor screwed into hole 93 because the lower end of hole 93 will be blocked by plate 95. If plate 95 be turned over, then all three holes 9|, 92 and 93 will be connected by groove 96, hence passage 94 will be in communication with all three restrictors in parallel. As restrictors 9 are similar and are about equal in air restriction, use of one restric tion gives a maximum timing; two restrictors in parallel shorten the timing period, and three restrictors in parallel still further shorten said period.

Connection block 23 is merely a member having passages therethrough for matching with holes '11, 19 and 8| at one end and having tubing connection sockets 84, and 86 in the other end, this block being used for ease in making the piping connections. Block 23 is attached to base member i? by suitable screws or bolts, with a gasket 99 being used to prevent leakage.

Operation Before discussing the operation of this apparatus, it may be assumed that the effective area of diaphragm 53 is about 10% of that of diaphragm 64 and the efiective area of diaphragm 64 is about of that of diaphragm 41. Further, spring II is adjusted so that the supply and exhaust valves are in neutral position (both closed) when the pressures in the motor chamber, the reset chamber and the rebalancing chamber are all at'iM; pounds per square inch. Under these conditions, the diaphragms are urged upwardly by the pressure in the reset chamber acting on the effective area of diaphragm 53 and by the valve springs and by springs 1| and they are urged downwardly by the 7 pounds pressure in the motor chamber, diaphragm 41 having substantially no effect because of the equal pressure on both sides of the same. With relay it thus adjusted. controller H is. adjusted. sov tha it, has 7 /2 r nch. pressure when at; its set: poin In prac ice. befor the. ystem. is put; in. operation, relay- IQ is-by-passed and. device, I2 is controlled directly by controller H for a time, with the throttling range in controller ll grad, ually being diminished until the system becomesv unstable, the. throttling range then being slightly widened to again render the system stable. Then relay I is connected into the system, as shown. For this; example, it may be assumed that controller I I has an 8 throttling range and the room temperature. is at its set point;

If, the temperature affecting controller ll should now diminish, its branch line pressure will be, proportionally increased and the pressure. in the motor chamber of; relay ill will rise above its previous 7 /2 pound value. This forces the diaphragm assembly down and opens the supply valve, as. before described, which permits air to flow into the rebalancingchamber of said unit. As the pressure in this chamber increases, diaphragm l'l exerts a force upwardly due to the diiference in pressures on its two sides, thus tending to rebalance the added force exerted by the motor chamber. Obviously, as this pressure increases sufficiently to rebalance the relay unit, and move the diaphragm assembly back to a, neutral position, the supply valve is closed. Meanwhile, the increased pressure in the rebalancing chamber has been imposed on motor 12 thus causing it to open further. Also, the higher pressure in the rebalancing chamber causes air to flow through passage 43, hole l9, passage 94, groove 91, the two restrictors is connected through, groove 91- and into the spaced enclosed by housing l8, and from this space the higher pressure air flows through hole 56 into the reset chamber to thus tend to balance the increased pressure in the rebalancing chamber. However, due to the, restrictors, the rate of, flow into the reset chamber is quite slow and several minutes are required to appreciably increase the pressure in this chamber. As the pressure in the reset chamber increases, the rebalancing effect of the unit is diminished so that the excess pressure; in the motor chamber again causes ball 35 to exert additional force on valve plate 38 to cause a further opening of the supply valve and thus. further open valve 12: and. cause a further pressure difference tending to cause air flow through the restrictors into. the rest chamber. This process will continue indefinitely, unless thermostat II is satisfied, until the maximum pressure obtainable in the rebalancing chambers is reached. Thus, upon a decrease. in the temperature at controller H, a. proportioning control is first exercised over valve l2 and then, as time elapses, the proportioning control of valve 12 gradually merges into floating control with the result that the valve will tend. to bev driven wide open unless the thermostat is in the mean,- time satisfied.

Anincreasein temperature in the space wherein controller I l is located will have a similar but reverse efiect, for the resulting decrease in space temperature will cause a decrease in pressure in the motor chamber of, valve unitZl, thus re.-

sulting inless pressure through ball 39 on valve plate 38; and an opening. of the, exhaust valve, thereby diminishing the pressure in the rebalance chamber until' it rebalances the pressure in the,

motor; chamber. This, causes av partial closing,

of valve; 12,. and: at the same; time causes a presstnedifienencez o xis b twe n. h resetcham.-

bar. andthe rebalancins ing. until thermostat H is: satisfied or until valve.

[2 is eventually driven entirely closed.

It: was previously noted that diaphragm. 64

has only the effective area. of diaphragm 4,1

hence, upon an initial deviation in temperature at controller H, it is obvious; that normal rebalancing cannot take place. because, av lesserpressure. change in the rebalancing chamber is. able to ofiset the pressure. change in the motor chamber because. of the; difference in. effective areas: of the diaphragm. This. tends to cause. less proportioningcontrol than would otherwise. be effected by a given. offset: in temperature of the primary controller, the actual rebalancing resulting in about as much change as: would be the case in a normal proportioning control. syse tem. Thus, a sudden and large swing in the controller would cause a. sudden motion inv the control device but the amount of movement: in; the control device is limited to the aforementioned fraction of the change normally called. for by the controller, thus. the system tends. to be stabilized to some extent; by therlesser direct; response that can be obtained from the control: device. Stated in another way, because: the diaphragm in the motor chamber is. but of the effective area of the diaphragm in. the re.- balancing chamber, about: l.% times as. much pressure change must take place in the; motor chamber as will take place in the" rebalancing chamber, thus broadening the throttling range of the controller and tending. to stabilize, the system in the same manner as would. be effected by broadening the throttling range of the controller by mechanical adjustment.

In the previous discussion, it was pointed. out that theseal-oif diaphragm has an. eficctive: area about 10% as great as the effective area of the. motor diaphragm and, because of, the. effectivearea of the seal-off diaphragm, a predetermined force was exerted by this diaphragm at the neutral or set point, this forceassisting'the spring, H in opposing downward motion of diaphragm 55 of the motor chamber. Whatever the value of this force may be at the set point. with 7 pounds per square inch pressure in each of the chambers, it is obvious that the upward forceexerted by diaphragm 53- will increase or decrease as the pressure in the reset chamber changes. As there isnothing to balance out. this force except. diaphragm 64, about 10% of the force exerted by diaphragm 64 is ineffective to'operate the valve members but rather is, used to oppose diaphragm 53. As the forcesused for operating the valve memberscan be balancedout but the force used to oppose diaphragm 53' can-- not be balanced out, thisdevice is able to eliminate only of the proportional system. offset on droop. Thus, because, the delayed floating system imposed by the present relay, on, a. normal proportional control arrangementtends. to wipe out the throttling range of the controller,

with the exception of forces that cannot be balanced out, and as it appears thatthe variation in force caused. by the seal-off diaphragm,

amounts to about 10%; of theforce. exerted by,

the pilot or motordiaphraemthe eventual: cons: trol; exercised by. the. present; extendszover only chamben, the air now flowin in a, reverse direction to, that previously; described and tending to match; the pressure in; However, asthis; flow about ,4 of the former throttling range, or in this case about .8 degree. While perfect control has not been achieved by use of this relay, it is obvious that the former throttling range has been very much decreased and, because the former throttling range was the smallest that could be used in a stable system under the previous arrangement, a considerable improvement has been effected.

While the normal effective area of diaphragm 53, the area exposed by opening 6| in member 59, is about of that of diaphragm 64, a pressure on 64 great enough to cause a relatively large deflection of the diaphragms tends to cause diaphragm 53 to push away from member 59 and thus increase its effective area. As the pressure on the underside of diaphragm 53 is always above atmosphericpressure the increase in effective area of 53 results in an increased force opposing that exerted by diaphragm B4 and thus tends to stabilize the system.

We have then the case of a differential efiect with eifective area becoming greater for the greater movement. Greater movement causes surges of air and the increased eifective area then helps to oppose these surges.

The amount of time delay proper for the superimposing of the floating control on the proportioning control varies with diiierent systems hence, when the throttling range was first being adjusted and while relay to was being bypassed, the installer was also taking note of the time period of the cycling of the system and, having determined the cycling time of the system, an adjustment is made of switch block 95 to select a time delay slightly longer than the normal cycling period. The above described arrangement, with the restrictors now being used, gives reset timing of approximately 6, 9 or 18 minutes depending upon whether 3, 2 or 1 restrictor is used at a time.

Because many substitutions and equivalents will become apparent upon a study of the foregoing specification and drawings, the scope of this invention should be determined only by the ap pended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A relay device comprising a base member, a housing attached to said base to form a sub stantially air tight enclosure, a valve unit located within said enclosure and including supply and exhaust valve means and an operating member therefor, a flexible diaphragm arranged in said valve unit to form a rebalancing chamber; air passages into said chamber controlled by said valve means, said diaphragm being arranged to operate said operating member, a seal-cit diaphragm arranged in spaced relation above said flexible diaphragm, said seal-oi? diaphragm and said flexible diaphragm defining a reset chamber, an air passage connecting said reset chamber to the space confined by said enclosure, a spring for urging said diaphragms upwardly, a pneumatic motor for urging said diaphragms downwardly, a conduit for connecting said motor to a suitable controller, a branch air conduit for connecting the said rebalan'cing chamber to a device to be controlled, a plurality of air restriction members attached to said base and opening into the space enclosed by said housing, an air passage from said branch conduit to a point adjacent one of said restriction members, and a switching block for connecting said last named air passage to two or more of said restriction members.

2. Control apparatus comprising a valve unit having a rebalancing chamber and a reset chamber divided by a flexible diaphragm, supply and exhaust valve means connected to said rebalancing chamber and arranged to be operated by said diaphragm, a seal-off diaphragm closing oil the upper portion of said reset chamber, said seal-off diaphragm having a relatively small effective area, a pneumatic motor including a motor diaphragm spaced above said seal-off diaphragm, said motor diaphragm having an effective area less than that of the first named diaphragm, means connecting all of said diaphragms together for simultaneous motion, a spring arranged to oppose said pneumatic motor, an air tight enclosure for said valve unit and an air space, an air passage from said reset chamber to the space enclosed by said enclosure, and an air passage from said rebalancing chamber to said space, one of said passages including an air restriction.

3. Control apparatus comprising a valve unit having a rebalancing chamber and a reset chamber divided by a flexible diaphragm, supply and exhaust valve means connected to said rebalancing chamber and arranged to be operated by said diaphragm, a seal-off means closing oii the upper portion of said reset chamber, a pneumatic motor spaced above said seal-off means, means connecting said motor to said flexible diaphragm, a spring arranged to oppose said motor, an airtight enclosure for said valve unit and an air space, an air passage from said reset chamber to the space enclosed by said enclosure, adjustable air flow restriction means, and an air passage from said rebalancing chamber to said space, one of said passages including said restriction means.

ei. A. control device comprising a valve unit having supply and exhaust valve means and including a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber; an air tight enclosure surrounding said valve unit, said enclosure having a base member, said base member including a plurality of connection means; air passages connecting said valve means, said first chamber and said third chamber to said connection means; an air passage connecting said second chamber to the space enclosed by said enclosure, a plurality of air restriction members opening within said space, an air passage connecting said first chamber to the first one of said restriction members; and air conduit means including an adjustable grooved member for connecting one or more of said restriction members in parallel with said first restriction member.

5. A control device comprising a valve unit having supply and exhaust valve means and including a rebalancing chamber, a reset chamber and a motor chamber; an air tight enclosure surrounding said valve unit, said enclosure having a base member; air passages connecting said valve means, said rebalancing chamber and said motor chamber to connection means attached to said base member; an air passage connecting said reset chamber to the space enclosed by said enclosure, a plurality of air restriction members opening within said space; and an air conduit means including an adjustable grooved block connecting said rebalancing chamber to one or more of said restriction members.

6. In a pneumatic reset relay, a valve unit comprising a base portion having supply and exhaust valve means therein, a flexible diaphragm mounted above said valve means and operably connected thereto, a second diaphragm spaced above said first normal diaphragm, a spacer including a partition having a relatively small central opening therein immediately above and in contact with said second diaphragm, means clamping the edge portions of said diaphragms to said unit, a pneumatic motor spaced above said second diaphragm and connected in operative relation therewith and to said flexible diaphragm and thereby connected in operative relation to said valve means, restricted air passage means from one side to the other of said flexible diaphragm, and a compression spring arranged between said partition,

member and said pneumatic motor.

7. Control apparatus comprising a valve unit having a rebalancing chamber and areset chamber divided by a flexible diaphragm, supply and exhaust valve means connected to said rebalancing chamber and arranged to be operated by said diaphragm, a seal-01f diaphragm closing oil the upper portion of said reset chamber, said seal-01f diaphragm being relatively large in diameter, a partition member having a relatively small central opening, said member being arranged above and in engagement with said seal-off diaphragm, said opening providing a relatively small effective area for said seal-ofi diaphragm, said effective area tending to increase slightly upon suflicient downward deflection of the seal-off diaphragm to cause it to move out of contact with said partition member around said opening, a pneumatic motor arranged above said seal-ofi diaphragm and arranged to exert force downwardly, a spring arranged to oppose said motor, means connecting said motor and said flrst flexible diaphragm in operative relation, and an air passage including flow restriction means connecting said rebalancing chamber and said reset chamber.

8. Control apparatus comprising a valve unit 10 havinga rebalancing chamber and a reset chamber divided by a flexible diaphragm, supply and exhaust valve means connected to said rebalancing chamber and arranged to be operated by said diaphragm, a seal-off diaphragm closing oil the upper portion of said reset chamber, said seal-off diaphragm being relatively large in diameter, a partition member having a relatively small central opening, said member being arranged above and in engagement with said seal-off diaphragm, said opening providing a relatively small effective area for said seal-oil diaphragm, said effective area tending to increase slightly upon sufiicient downward deflection of the seal-off diae phragm as to cause it to move out of contact with said partition member around said opening, a pneumatic motor arranged above said seal-01f diaphragm and arranged to exert force downwardly, a spring bearing against said partition member and arranged to oppose said motor, means connecting said motor and said first flexible diaphragm in operative relation, and an air passage and including air flow delay means connecting said rebalancingchamber and said reset chamber.

ROBERT P. ROE-TTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,179,450 Gorrie Nov. 7. 1939 2,411,748 Kelley Nov. 26, 1946 2,432,705 Williams Dec. 16, 1947 

